Why visual identity matters for your digital business

Does your digital business have a visual identity?

We're not just talking about a logo here, but about a set of visual elements that define your product or brand. These also include, for example:

• Color palette;
• Typography (the fonts/lettering used in your communication);
• Tone of voice;
• Symbols (brand persona, icons, etc.);

At first, these may seem like minor details that can wait until later when you're starting a business. But in reality, having a well-defined visual identity matters for any brand and product. And that includes your digital business. Keep reading to learn:

• Why visual identity matters for digital product creators
• How to create your brand's visual identity
• What a customized member area is

Why visual identity matters for digital product creators

To illustrate, let's use the visual identity of Cademí, the first Member Hub in Brazil, as an example. We have a brand manual that defines in detail how the company should be represented. Whether in social media images, videos or copy… the goal is that as soon as people see our communication, it's clear not only that it's Cademí but also what our values and personality are.

This helps our brand gain strength in the market and stick in the minds of everyone who comes across us, wherever that may be.

Since the digital product market is one of the fastest-growing in the country, this detail makes all the difference when promoting a course, e-book, mastermind and so on. After all, a potential student might come across you and later, when they're ready to buy, land on another similar digital product and think it's the same one.

You definitely don't want that to happen, right? So a well-developed visual identity is the way to go.

How to create your brand's visual identity

First of all, you need answers to two questions: What's your niche? Who's your target audience? These are what will help you figure out the best way to communicate visually (or not).

If you have those answers, the next steps are:

1. Market research

Getting past the blank page is usually a challenge. Benchmarking (that is, studying your competitors) will help you take the first step. After all, even though you're creating a visual identity to stand out, there are market trends that work and can be applied to your business.

Archetypes are a clear example of this. In short, they're patterns that help communicate a specific trait. To illustrate, notice how Jeep, The North Face and GoPro communicate in similar ways. That's because they share the same archetype: the explorer.

Studying the market will also help you get clearer on what you don't like. And that's already an important step when building your visual identity from scratch.

2. Create

With all your answers and research in hand, it's time to create. Ideally, you'll work with a designer for this stage. But if your budget isn't there yet, you can get started on your own with Canva, Adobe Express and other software and AI tools.

In that case, be extra careful to break away from the obvious and not end up with a logo just like those of countless other creators.

3. Be consistent

Identity created? The next step is to review all your communication and apply it everywhere. From social media posts to in-person events, the goal is for your brand to be recognized wherever it shows up.

The goal here is consistency. The mantra is: if your digital product is going to show up, the visual identity will be applied.

Customized member area

Your visual identity should also be applied to your member area. After all, it's the “final stop” of your communication. That's where leads have already become customers and can either be delighted by what you deliver and want to buy more products, or be disappointed and ask for a refund because of that first impression.

At Cademí, as we mentioned, this is a detail we care about, both for our own brand and for our customers' brands. That's why 100% of our member hub can be customized intuitively. When you create your hub, you can change:

• Logo;
• Button color and text;
• Login page image;
• Banners;
• Course layout;

If it's on the screen, you can change it and give it your digital product's DNA in just a few clicks. If you want to learn more, click here and get to know our solution in detail.